{Healthy Flavorful Food} Garlicky Squash Buttery Quinoa Salad

These past few days have been very cool here! Yes, particularly this morning...feels like the coldest.I
love autumn and winter season just for the simple reason that these months always call for warmth and comforting food. And a lot of baking too :) However, soups
and healthy salads are the perfect addition to the season too and they are also
comforting.Yes, healthy flavorful salads, such as quinoa with roasted or sauteed vegetables.

The quinoa or quinua {like many people in Latin America called it}is something that have been used for many years in Latin America but in Argentina we didn't hear much about quinoa while growing up {at least not in my family}.It was the kind of food that was more relative to other latin american countries, especially Peru. Fortunately ''la quinoa'' ''the quinoa'' is becoming more popular in Argentina. And I say 'fortunately' because I can't get enough of it.

Yes, these days have been ''the quinoa days'' and even J. have been taking ''homemade quinoa salads lunches'' to work.Or as we call it... homemade takeouts :)

We have been eating roasted in-season vegetables, roasting apples, carrots, lots of kumura {New Zealand ''Glorious'' Sweet Potatoes} and I've been baking some focaccias too. So the poor kitchen oven didn't have much rest lately.

Cool days also bring wonderful aromas. Like this beautiful orange squash that I prepared to make it part of a wonderful salad.Garlicky sauteed squash with buttery quinoa and some fragrant basil leaves from the little garden. And a couple of slices of toasted bread.

A very quick- healthy and pretty satisfying lunch. The perfect salad to me.

This is a very quick and satisfying salad. I like to add a couple of teaspoons of unsalted butter to the quinoa after its cooked. It makes it creamy and even more tastier! And also you can substitute the basil leaves for parsley or any herb you like works fine.

2 C. diced squash

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Sea Salt to taste

1 C. dry quinoa, rinsed {I used white quinoa}

2 C. water

2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter {for the quinoa}

Basil Leaves

Cooked the diced squash in boiling water for about 6-7 minutes or until is tender. Drain well. In a frying pan add butter, olive oil and garlic and cook until aromatic. Add Squash and sauteed for about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

In a saucepan add the 2 cups of water, then add the quinoa and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until quinoa becomes tender and water has absorbed. When ready add the 2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter and a bit of salt. Toss to combine with sauteed garlicky squash.Add basil leaves and serve while warm.